Dead Voice
by Rosedream
Summary: Just an ordinary day at the office...
1. Chapter 1

**Dead Voice**

It was a beautiful Sunday afternoon. Hints of spring were everywhere; the trees had a haze of green as the new leaves were starting to sprout. Early flowers decorated lawns in sparse patches. I was very tempted to call in sick and make a run for it to the park. Except… there was no one to call out too! Lin and Naru were out at an undisclosed non-of-my-business location. But he would be calling to make sure I made it to the office to take care of some paperwork that needed to be processed and sent to the main Office in England.

So here I am trudging my way to work. On time… sigh. Oh well. Everyone else is all busy. John is at church, Ayako is with her family, Masako is at work and Bou-san is out in the wild getting spiritual on his pilgrimage. Most of my school friends are also either with family or at their part-time jobs as well. The life of a teenager sounds a lot more exciting than it really is!

I got to the office and let myself in.

Man it is so quiet without everyone here! I mean I know that Lin and Naru aren't the talkative type but without their bodies here breathing and occasionally calling out for tea it seems very lonely and unsettling to be here. I know! I will open the windows that will help! Ahhh street noise! Now down to business.

Hmm first is the plants, I need to water the plants and make sure to do a quick dusting and vacuuming. I popped in my ear buds and set my music. Dancing about the office, (in a way I would NEVER do if the men were here) I manage to do those chores very quickly. Next is the office inventory. Making sure all the printers have paper and ink, the kitchen has all the tea and biscuits we could possibly need, and making a list of items we would need to go buy. This list is set on Lin's desk for him to approve and give me the petty cash to go out get the needed items.

Then I get the mail and sit down to my desk. I am actually surprised sometimes at how much there is for me to do. When I first started here I thought that all I would do is sit here and wait for someone to come to us. We would go to their house, get rid of the ghost in some fashion and then leave to wait for the next customer.

Don't get me wrong we DO that, but there is sooo much more to it. First off all of those people need to have everything that happened in their homes made a record of. We label and transcript everything! We make a record of every encounter from the client to the ghost(s). Which let me tell you can be rather embarrassing when you look at your actions later on a detailed description that will be SAVED and sent to the main office. Everything has to be saved to the main computer, Lin's laptop and to some disks. We keep a master and then make a copy.

EVERY client who walks through that door is a DAMN file! Even if it just one page we keep track of when someone comes through the door and what their issue is. Even if we are pretty sure we will never go and do something about that issue we make sure that just in case we can reference it later. All that typing and such you see from Lin is him making these files and Tran scripting. We also have to create databases and description words that will link and bring up relevant files in case we run into similar cases.

I am in charge of the care and keeping of those files. I also make sure the copies make it to the main office and Lin's email. Naru can also research from the main database as well. Whenever he isn't doing whatever it is that keeps him so occupied in his office…

Oh and I get the mail. I get to cut open all the mail and sort it. I must admit I like that part of the job. There is something very satisfying about opening all that mail. The bills I don't have to worry about because someone else is paying them! And the junk mail goes in the trash like at home. The other mail is fun… and sad. Some people send in letters of appreciation, some are letters begging for help. I sort that out and then give them to Naru to decide if he wants to respond or not.

So that is what I am doing this fine day! Hold on… what is this? Strange. I opened this bulging envelope and there is a cell phone… hmmm? No letter? Weird. I will just put this down and let Naru look at this when he gets in tomorrow.

(Two hours later) (Point of view change)

Time passed and Mai was all done with her files. Dinner was just around the clock and she was ready to put the files in the post and head home. Cleaning up her desk she heard the phone ring. Absentmindedly and still expecting Naru's phone call she picked up the cell phone and answered it.

"_Mai? Mai this is your mother. Where are you? Why aren't you home?" _


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N I don't own Ghost Hunt. **

**Chapter two**

When I heard the voice of my mother I was stunned. I staggered back and sat down on the couch in room. I cradled the phone to my face.

"Mom?"

"_Well? Where are you?"_

"I am at work Mom. Where are you?" I felt numb. I couldn't believe that I was having this beyond the grave conversation with my mother.

A low happy chuckle sounded through the phone. "_I am right here_."

"Where is here?"

"_I am at home waiting for you! How is work dear? How is Michiru? You know your friend at school? I haven't heard you talk about her recently_."

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(Change of view)

Mai was smiling and chatting to her mother about her day. Something she had always dreamed about. Just having a casual talk to her mother about her life and all that had been happening to her. As she was talking the office phone began to ring. "_Ring… Ring_"

Mai's face shut down and then with a blank look and stiff arm she reached out and picked up the phone. Cradling it to her other ear.

"_Hello."_ Her voice was wooden and quite unlike her usual chipper tone.

"_Yes, Mr. Shibuya, the files are typed up."_ There was a pause on the other side. ("Mai?")

"_No, this is her mother. And by the time you get home… I will have eaten her soul."_ By the end her voice had deepened to deep growl. "click" The phone was put down and Mai suddenly turned on again. Happy smile and she went on talking her mother about the funny thing that her friend had told her at school.

She didn't seem to notice the blood dripping from her nose, down her chin and staining her shirt.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

The light in the office became pink and soft as the sun set. Often Mai worked only with the lights dimmed or off due to the large windows in the office building. So it was that as she sat on the couch talking on the phone the light around her grew darker. Shadows built in the corners of the office and the hallway to the kitchen was completely black. A shadow grew next to her. In fact it almost looked like it was sitting talking on the phone…

Mai felt warm and happy to be talking to her mother, except she was getting really tired, dinner time had come and gone without a crumb eaten. Mai was afraid that if she hung up the phone she wouldn't get to talk to her mother anymore. And so she laid her head down on the pillow on the couch and kept talking. She talked until suddenly she had no words and she yawned. Her eyes drooped and she apologized.  
"Sorry, I seem to be really tired."

"That is ok dear. I will see you soon." And with that Mai fell asleep, curled up in a ball. The phone was pressed to her ear and her blood continued to drip down her face to stain the pillow and couch underneath her. And the shadow now crouched over Mai.

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Mai ran about the park in joy. Her pig tails thumping in time to her happy feet.

The slide was slick and fast. She went down it as long as she could stand climbing up the long ladder. Next was the sand pit. She buried her feet. Luxuriating in the feel of the sand between her toes, tickling the pads of her feet. The challenge of digging to the center of the earth.

Last it was the swings.

The work and struggle to get started. Wiggling back and forth until her momentum started and then pumping her legs, harder and harder. Until she got the swing moving and then … and then she was flying. Back and forth her body was a pendulum hitting the highs and lows. Her mind was free and she allowed her head to drop back and look up at the sky. The blue tapestry dotted by the fluffy white clouds which danced and swiveled to the movement of her swing. Her mother was there waving at her and smiling as she swung….

And as she swung up and down she could see a man dressed in black standing outside of the fence and watching her with a sad look on his face.


End file.
